The Mystery of the Artifacts
by Sir Fenith
Summary: After a tragic event, Louis flees from his hometown, leaving friends and family, to become stronger. However, when he learns that a mysterious group desires to take over the world, he embarks on a perilous quest to stop them. But with the terrible luck he has, just how will he manage it? [Set in Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon] STORY IS DEFINITELY DEAD
1. Table of Contents & Author's Note

**-Table of Contents-**

**Part 1 - Louis's PoV**

Chapter 1...A Rude Awakening

Chapter 2...A Bunny and a Shadow

Chapter 3...The Dream

Chapter 4...Mortification

Chapter 5...Sorrow Turned into Joy

Chapter 6...Shock

Chapter 7...The (Un)helpful Eavesdropper

Chapter 8...A Dismal Surprise

Chapter 9...Deceit

**Part 2 - Flopsy's PoV**

Chapter 1...An Unlikely Companion

* * *

**A/N: **This is the first real story I ever wrote (not to mention the first one I had the audacity to publish), so there's been a lot of improvement from the first chapter to now.

I admit that the first half of Part 1 leaves something—or a lot of somethings—to be desired. As a whole, Part 1 was where I just jumped in and floundered about, trying to get a hold on things.

At the opening of the second part, however, I noticed that, during my three month endeavor with part 1, I gained a considerable amount of experience.

Ultimately, just bear with my terrible lack of skill in the beginning, and hopefully you'll enjoy _The Mystery of the Artifacts_ more as I get better.


	2. A Rude Awakening

_**Part I, Chapter I – A Rude Awakening**_

It was evening in Serene Village. Most of the villagers were at home, enjoying another quiet night. With his eyes closed, a Pikachu was peacefully resting against an imposing oak tree at the top of a hill overlooking the village. A small Pachirisu appeared out of nowhere and approached him silently. Then he suddenly hollered in the Pikachu's ear, "C'mon, Louis! Dinner's almost ready!" The Pikachu, Louis, yelped and jumped back, nearly tumbling down the hill.

Collecting himself, he calmly scolded the giggling electric squirrel. "Sparky, I told you not to do that."

"I know, but it's so hard _not_ to when you always react!" the Pachirisu named Sparky returned, unsuccessfully trying to keep a straight face.

Louis was about to respond, but he was interrupted by the growling of his stomach. It was then that he noticed how hungry he was. Swallowing his frustration towards the Pokémon, he muttered, "Just promise me you won't do it again. I don't want to go deaf while I'm still young."

Sparky smiled innocently. "Okie dokie."

Louis rolled his eyes, not believing that he would really cease his mischievous antics. But he couldn't seem to stay mad at the EleSquirrel Pokémon for very long, so he just let it go, and followed his jumpy friend home.

Louis was about sixteen, and looked like an ordinary Pikachu. Being almost completely covered by yellow fur, he had long ears of the same color that were tipped with black; two brown stripes ran across his back; his large tail was shaped like a lightning bolt. On his cheeks were two red circular pouches used for storing electricity.

Generally, he possessed a business-like mien and disliked expressing his emotions openly. On sunny days like today, he often napped or played with Sparky and his friends. He himself had few friends in the village, but to those few he was ferociously loyal. Sparky was one of those friends.

Sparky, five, was an energetic Pachirisu, which was a squirrel-like Pokémon. Like all Pachirisu, his fur was white with a faint blueish tint and a light blue stripe that originated at his forehead and extended to the tip of his bushy tail. He had a large white tooth that stuck out of his mouth. His eyes were a deep gray; his cheeks were like Louis's, and served the same purpose, but they were yellow instead of red; his tail was twice the length of his body, with three spikes around the middle. Though his arms and legs were quite short, he could still run incredibly fast, a trait he shared with Louis.

He had the same bouncy and flamboyant personality as his mother, but because he was still young, it usually got out of hand, often ending in him accidently breaking something. The only thing he seemed to have acquired from his father was his love for adventuring.

The two electric-type Pokémon passed by several one-story houses on their way home. Fashioned from sun-dried mud, they had thatched roofs which somehow kept the rain and snow out. As the two reached the little hut they called home (it was very much like the others), Louis asked, "So, what are we eating tonight?"

"Just wait and see," Sparky replied excitedly, entering the building. Mumbling to himself—he was obviously still a little ticked off about earlier—Louis entered after him.

The room into which they came was circular; in the middle, there was a table set for four; at the far end from the entrance was a small stove and sink. On both sides of the entrance were doorways, the left one leading to Louis's and Sparky's room, and the right to that of their parents. A Pachirisu was setting a large bowl full of Chesto berries (Louis's favorite) onto the table, and a Buizel was already seated, chatting with the squirrel Pokémon.

The Pachirisu, Pachi, appeared to be nearly identical to Sparky, except she was larger and her light blue head stripe was a little shorter, which marked her as a female. She had the same bouncy, optimistic attitude that her son had, but she tended to hide it. Her mate, however, was adventurous, serious, and not very sociable in public. He was a Buizel named Tails, and was a weasel-like Pokémon, with some traits that made him look less like an ordinary weasel. He had brownish-orange and bright yellow fur, and he also had two tufts pointed away in the back of his head and blue fins on the sides of his arms to use for swimming. His mouth, stomach and the two small, oval-shaped spots above his eyes were bright yellow, and four other spots of the same shape, located on the sides of his cheeks, were black. He had three fingers on his forepaws, two fangs in his mouth, and short hind legs and long three-toed feet, along with bright yellow paw pads on his palms and feet.

After exchanging the usual greetings to their parents, they sat down also. While nibbling on a berry, Sparky asked Tails, "How was adventuring today, Dad?"

"It went well, I guess," he replied, "but one has to be cautious these days, with the Shadow Knights skulking around."

"Well, I'm sure _you_ won't have to be careful, because you can beat them all without any problem!" his son proclaimed enthusiastically.

"I don't know about that..." he mumbled, but aloud, he said, "Still, it doesn't hurt to be careful." But Sparky continued to praise his skill in battle.

Meanwhile, Louis was silently eating, absorbed in his own thoughts. He never knew his father, and his mother died when he was young, leaving him an orphan. Tails and Pachi kindly adopted him, and while he does consider them and their only biological son family, it just wasn't the same. "Is everything all right?" a voice asked concernedly.

He snapped out of it and noticed Pachi was speaking to him. "Yes, Mom," the Pikachu replied, pulling a fake smile. "I think I'll go visit the orphanage, now," he added, leaving a half-eaten berry on his plate, and exiting the hut rather hastily and before anyone could object.

Pachi sighed. "He seems to be going to the orphanage a lot, lately."

Tails nodded, and opened his mouth to say something, when Sparky exclaimed, "It's because his girlfriend Flopsy lives there!"

"Flopsy is _not_ my girlfriend!" Louis yelled from outside.

"She is, too!" he insisted. However, Louis didn't respond to that. He must have thought it useless to argue, or something.

"Sparky, dear," Pachi scolded softly, "you mustn't say things that are not true."

"But why does he always want to be with her?" he asked.

This time, Tails spoke up. "Just because he likes to spend a lot of time with her, it doesn't mean they're dating."

"But, Dad..." Sparky argued.

Tails rubbed his temples. "I think I shall go to bed early," he interjected. "I've had a very long day." And with that, he stood up and sauntered into his room.

Baffled, his son blinked a few times, then shrugged and went outside to play with his friends. Pachi just sighed and began cleaning up.

* * *

**Words:** 1,191

**Published: **Nov. 11, 2019


	3. A Bunny and a Shadow

_**Chapter II – A Bunny and a Shadow**_

By this time, Louis had arrived at the orphanage, which was run by Nurse Chansey. Known as "Chansey's Orphanage," it was next to Café Connection, and was fashioned from brick rather than mud like most of the other buildings. Being two stories tall, and housing a few dozen orphans, it was quite large.

He was just about to enter when he heard a voice behind him. "Looking for someone, Louie?" Louis turned, though he already knew who it was. It was his friend, Flopsy. She was a Buneary, a rabbit Pokémon. Her fur was dark brown, and she had cream-colored fluff on the tips of her ears, which also had pink undersides. One of her ears was rolled up, while the other wasn't. Fluff of the same color also covered the bottom half of her body. She had questioning eyebrows and a small pompom-like tail, both the color of her fluff (though Louis couldn't see her tail because he was right in front of her); she possessed a pink triangular nose and big, brown eyes. She was about sixteen, like Louis.

The Pikachu shrugged. "Not anymore."

Flopsy tilted her head. "So that means you've already found...whoever it is you're looking for?" Louis nodded. "Is that someone...me?" Again, he nodded, bracing himself for what he knew would inevitably come. The Buneary smiled broadly and leapt at him, clutching him tightly. "I knew it! You are _so _predicable!" He blushed, and looked around nervously, checking if anyone was around. Luckily, there was no one in—

"Don't forget about me," a voice in the shadows reminded him. Knowing who it was, Louis's blush deepened, and he gently but firmly pushed his affectionate friend away from him.

"Shade, why do you always have to wait for the most embarrassing moment to make yourself known?" he questioned.

"Because it's more fun that way," Shade replied spookily, revealing himself. He was a Duskull, a small ghost-type Pokémon that resembled the Grim Reaper (minus the scythe). His robe-like body had two bone patterns on the back, and he sported a skull-like mask covering a single red eye that looked through one of the eye sockets. Like Flopsy, he was an orphan and lived at the orphanage. However, he was practically the bunny's opposite. While Flopsy was friendly and carefree, Shade was cynical and, well, _not_ carefree. Thought he was only slightly older than Louis and Flopsy, he appeared to be more than both of their ages combined. "Besides," he added, smirking, "this isn't the first time Flopsy has hugged you."

"Well, in my defense—"

"So, Shade, Louie and I are gonna play hide-and-seek," Flopsy interrupted. "Do you wanna play too?"

"I never agreed to—" Louis began, facing her, but before he could finish, she covered his mouth with one of her paws.

The requiem Pokémon grinned eerily (or at least that's what it seemed like; Louis never could tell). "Of course. Who shall be first?"

The Buneary returned a joyful smile. "You can. Count to fifty, please." Shade nodded and stood in front of the orphanage, and, covering his eye sockets, started to count. Flopsy hopped quietly into some bushes close by.

_That silly bunny, _Louis thought. _She usually wants to play tag. I mean, hide-and-seek _is _Shade's favorite game, especially at night, but still...she's got some sort of plan._ He darted in the opposite direction as his friend, trying his best to make as little sound as possible. However, because it was nearly dark, the Pikachu was having a difficult time finding a place to hide (being a ghost-type, Shade had night vision). Finally spotting a large burrow underneath a tree, he crawled into it. The hole was large enough for two, and since he was the only one, it would indeed be quite suitable for him. Inside, it smelled like a wet Poochyena (a dog Pokémon), but he honestly didn't care. Suddenly, there was a rustling nearby. _Wait, is that Shade? No, it can't be; he doesn't make any noise when he moves. Who is it, then?_ Then the noise outside ceased, as quickly as it had come. _Huh. Must've just been a wandering Pokémon or something—AHHH!_ He inwardly screamed as something softly brushed him.

"Oh, I'm sorry for frightening you. Is this your hiding place?"

Quickly composing himself, he hissed, "Flopsy, what are you _doing_ here? You scared the living daylights outta me." Unperturbed, Flopsy scooted closer to him and, despite himself, he blushed.

"I didn't like my initial hiding spot very much, so I chose this burrow instead," she explained. "It smells a little funky, but it'll do."

"Probably because I'm here," Louis mumbled under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing," he murmured. An awkward silence followed. It was so quiet one would be able to hear a pin drop.

Then Flopsy asked something that made him do a double take. "Hey, Louie, how about we have a sleepover, like we used to, but here?"

_Oh, as if all the hugging and affection weren't enough, now she wants to sleep with me! _Louis thought frantically. _No...I can't do it, no matter what._ "Flopsy, I—" He was suddenly hushed by his companion.

"There's someone coming." Her eyes widened. "And that someone is _not_ Shade."

* * *

**Words:** 874

**Published:** Nov. 16, 2019


	4. The Dream

_**Chapter III – The Dream**_

Louis held his breath, and a fearful Flopsy hugged him. _Who would be out at night, save us? _he wondered. His question was soon answered when something that sounded like it was stomping quickly approached.

"Have you found 'em yet?" a deep voice (the source of the noise) demanded. The Pokémon who had spoken was close. Dangerously, frighteningly close.

"Not yet, Commander," a second Pokémon nonchalantly replied. "It is possible that they have already gone home." This last statement seemed to enrage his companion.

"Nonsense! He said they would be aroun' here somewhere. Stay an' keep an eye out for 'em."

"Yessir!" he replied, and his superior noisily trudged away. After a bit of rustling (he was probably getting comfortable, Louis guessed), all was silent.

Neither Louis nor Flopsy moved, as both were worried about being discovered. _Well, I guess Flopsy's wish came true; we're staying here for the night. However, tonight's going to be anything _but _pleasant. _At least, that's what he thought.

Time passed slowly for Louis. For the sake of caution, he tried to stay awake while Flopsy, cuddled close to him, slumbered. Her unrolled ear lightly brushed Louis's, causing him to tuck his back, though he didn't object to her being so close to him because...it seemed to make him feel secure.

_We used to have sleepovers like this all the time when we were young,_ he remembered, fighting sleep. _Even though it feels wrong to be sleeping with her now, I kinda like having her body pressed against mine._ He smiled warmly. Despite himself, he began to doze off...and before he knew it, he was asleep.

* * *

_Louis found himself in Serene Village, in the town square. Though the sun emitted its warm rays of light, he noticed everyone in the village seemed gloomy. Even the birds were silent, as if they, too, were mourning over something. _I'm dreaming, but why does it feel so real? And why is everyone so sad? _he wondered._

_He stopped a Lucario who was passing by. "What happened?" Louis inquired._

_She narrowed her eyes. "Have you not heard?" The Pikachu shook his head. She hesitated, as if reluctant to tell him. Finally, she said, "Marie was killed by the Shadow Knights."_

_"Who's Marie?"_

_Again, she was silent for a moment. He was beginning to wonder if something was wrong with her. "You are Louis," she said suddenly._

_Louis stiffened. _How does she know me?_ he thought. "Yeah, I am. But what's that got to do with my question?"_

_"It has everything to do with it. I shall not answer your question now, but when we meet again..."_

_"But this is all a dream, isn't—"_

_The Lucario raised a paw, silencing him. "Allow me to speak. This is actually a memory into which I have entered. I have a very urgent message to deliver: the Shadow Knights are searching for you."_

_The Shadow Knights...Louis had heard Tails mention them at dinner. Maybe he should ask about that when he sees him again._

"_Ahem." The noise wrenched him from his thoughts. He looked up at the aura Pokémon, who rolled her eyes. He blushed, and covered his cheeks with his paws. How embarrassing...his mind apparently wandered in his dreams, too._

_He collected his thoughts. "Umm...why are they looking for me?"_

_"They want to kill you." She said that as if that were something one would say on a daily basis._

_"I don't understand," he flatly stated._

_"You will before long." The Lucario sighed forlornly. "It is time for you to wake up," she said. Suddenly, Louis found himself beginning to awaken._

_"What? But I can't!" Even as he said that, everything was beginning to fade._

_"Goodbye, Louis. I do hope I can meet you in person someday."_

* * *

Louis's eyes slowly cracked open. He noticed was that it was daybreak. Feeling someone fluffy snuggled up against him, he reddened. It was Flopsy. He had forgotten about her. Worse, sometime during the night, he must've wrapped his arms around her and pressed her even _closer _to him. As embarrassed as he was, though, he didn't pull away from her. In fact, he didn't _want_ to.

_Oh, Arceus, I'm falling in love with my best friend,_ he realized. However, he didn't have any time to reflect on that thought at the moment, as Flopsy was beginning to stir. He braced for the loving nuzzles and affection he was sure she would give him.

Flopsy opened her eyes. "You're so warm..." she murmured, beaming up at him. "Please don't let go of me..."

He was _not_ expecting that kind of reaction. Well, he wasn't about to let go anyway, so...

"Okay," he responded. His bunny friend sighed contentedly, snuggled into his chest, and fell back asleep. Louis smiled at her. "I can get used to this," he thought aloud, enjoying the blessed silence and pleasant company.

Presently, it became brighter outside and the peace was soon disturbed by hearty birdsong. Judging by how bright it was, he figured it was probably about 7 a.m. "Flopsy," Louis whispered, directing his attention to the rabbit in his arms, "it's time to wake up."

Said Pokémon yawned. "G'morning, Louie," she mumbled, rubbing her eyes. "When do we have to leave?"

"Leave for what?" Louis asked after he crawled out of the burrow.

Flopsy gave him a look which probably asked him if he was joking. "For school, of course."

The mouse Pokémon facepalmed. "Oh yeah, I forgot."

With a little help from Louis, Flopsy had exited the burrow as well. "How can you forget a thing like that?" Thinking a moment, she added, "It's because of the wonderful night we had together, isn't it?"

Louis blushed, but tried his best to hide it. "Of course not," he lied.

Flopsy shrugged. "Whatever you say. But I still think that's why. You seemed pretty happy being with me last night. I mean, you were hugging me and everything."

He couldn't really deny that, so he just said, "We have to get back before we're late for school."

She nodded. "Race you to the orphanage!" she hollered, and hopped off in the direction of Serene Village.

"No fair! You got a head start!" he shouted, chasing after her. _I'll have to keep my feelings a secret until I know for sure if she likes me, _he decided. _I really hope she does, though._

* * *

**Words:** 1,062

**Published:** Nov. 21, 2019


	5. Mortification

_**Chapter IV — Mortification**_

"I...win," Flopsy announced, trying to catch her breath. They had cleared the forest, and were now back at the orphanage in the town square.

"That's because...you started...ahead of me," Louis panted, stopping beside her. He, too, was breathing hard. He wiped the sweat from his brow. The two were silent for a few moments, allowing Louis to abandon himself to his thoughts.

This caused him to remember what happened the night before and his dream.

_How could I just forget those Pokémon that were searching for someone (probably me) and that the Shadow Knights, whether it was those same Pokémon or not, are out to kill me?_ he wondered, mentally facepalming. _But should I tell Flopsy all this...? I certainly don't want to scare her, but what if they are looking to harm _her_ as well? No...no, I won't tell her; at least, not yet. But I'll stay near her at all—_

"Well, I'm going to get ready for school. See you there!" she said to him suddenly, wrenching him back to reality, and turned away to hop into the orphanage when Louis rested his paw on her shoulder. She turned again, looking into his eyes. "What is it, Louie?"

Immediately, there were butterflies in the Pikachu's stomach, and his head was flooded with thoughts about the attractive bunny in front of him. He had never noticed how soft her fur was until now, or how beautiful her sparkling brown eyes were; nor had he ever felt such a yearning as he did right now to press her close to him, to protect her, to be with her forever—

He pushed away the thoughts. He can't allow himself to think these things. For the present, at any rate. Clearing his throat, he volunteered matter-of-factly (albeit nervously), "I'll walk you to school."

She blushed, and pulled her waist fluff to her face, hiding the smile underneath. "Okay. I'll wait here for you, then." And with that, she dashed into the orphanage.

Louis watched her depart, and was about to leave himself when a disturbing thought popped up. What if Flopsy was attacked while he was away? No, he couldn't allow that to happen. He'd just wait outside; she wouldn't know that he had never left at all.

He leaned against the cold brick wall of the building, wiping away any dirt from his fur that he could see.

After a few moments, his cutesy companion emerged from the doorway. Louis's heart seemed to melt when he saw her. In addition to her usual appearance (minus any dirt), she had, neatly attached to her rolled up ear, a blue ribbon, which only amplified her beauty tenfold. Honestly, it seemed like she was going to a ball instead of to school.

Staring at her, he thought, _Wow, I never noticed how pretty she is._

"Is there anything wrong?" he heard Flopsy ask worriedly.

Snapping out of the seeming trance, his gaze dropped to the ground. "N-no! I-it's just that you look...nice." He scratched the back of his head, his eyes still lowered. "So...shall we go?"

Flopsy smiled, blushing a little. "Okay. And...thanks for the compliment."

Louis looked up, smiling back. "No problem."

The two began the short walk to school.

"Flopsy, can I hold your paw?" Louis blurted out, somewhat tensely. This had been something he really wanted to do ever since he learned about how he felt for her.

"Umm...sure," she replied, trying to act calm. When Louis looked into her eyes, he could tell that her apparent calmness was just a façade. It was obvious that she was practically bursting with excitement.

_Perhaps she does like me,_ he thought as he slipped his paw into hers.

After this, both were quiet.

"So," Louis began, trying to make conversation, "did Nurse Chansey ask where you were last night?"

She shrugged. "Kind of. She asked if I stayed with you again last night. I just said yes. I wasn't lying, was I?"

The Pikachu shrugged. "I suppose not."

"How about you?" Flopsy asked. "Did anyone want to know where you had been?"

Louis tensed. He certainly didn't want to lie, but if he told her the truth, she might want to know more. But even if he didn't tell her, she might find out anyway, so...

"Well, the truth is...I didn't go back home."

"You just stayed at the orphanage and waited for me?" she asked, disbelievingly.

"...Yeah."

"Oh." He expected her to ask why, but she didn't say anything more on the subject. Another reason he liked her: she wasn't intrusive.

The rest of the walk was uneventful, with Louis and Flopsy chatting about insignificant things.

* * *

Serene School had only one classroom, which was outside. The principal's and vice-principal's office, the school library, and the nurse's office were each in dome-shaped buildings made of the same material as the residential buildings; that is, mud walls and a thatched roof.

The subjects taught at this school were history, geography, and battling. Of course, the students also learned basic arithmetic and grammar (though some of Louis's classmates spoke however they wished, not caring whether it was grammatically correct or not).

"...was how the Sand Continent was discovered." Louis heard a voice loudly finish. He stopped talking to Flopsy. Right in front of them was the gateway to the school-grounds. He was so absorbed in conversation with his friend that he didn't even _notice_ they had arrived!

"C'mon, Louie, we're late!" Flopsy whispered, releasing his paw.

_Arceus, I don't want to get into trouble again, _Louis silently begged, and the two entered together.

Since the classroom was at the entrance of the grounds, everyone noticed them when they entered.

"Ah, _there_ you are," the teacher, a middle-aged Farfetch'd holding an old, beat-up stalk, said. He already sounded like he was about to fly off the handle. "What kept you?"

Louis cleared his throat. "Well, Mr. Farfetch'd, we—"

"I can tell you what they've been up to, Teach," an Aipom in the front row broke in, jumping forward. "You see, they were both late, so that can mean only one thing..."

The Pikachu's eyes went wide, his face turning red. He felt Flopsy duck behind him. _Oh, Arceus! Ambo better shut up, or I'll probably die from humiliation!_

Unfortunately for Louis and Flopsy, she wasn't quiet. "...that they must've had one heck of a time together last night!" she finished.

The Blitzle in the desk to the right of her stared incredulously. "That doesn't mean—" he began.

"It sure does!" Ambo once again interrupted.

The teacher hit his stalk on the chalkboard near him. "Ambo, please return to your desk and—"

"That means they're mates now!" the monkey Pokémon finished.

Louis covered his face with his paws as the class howled with laughter. Well, most of it. There were a few classmates who didn't find it the least funny, but Louis didn't notice them.

_Oh, why does she like to embarrass us so much?_ he agonized.

Luckily, Farfetch'd had had enough.

"Silence! Everyone be quiet!" he shrieked over the din, banging his stalk against the board.

Eventually, the students hushed, and an exasperated teacher glared at the Aipom who initiated it all.

"Return to your seat," he demanded in a deadly voice. She obeyed, but stole a glance at Louis and Flopsy, snickering a little.

Louis was staring at the ground despondently, a faint flush still visible on his face. Flopsy had stepped several feet away from him, and had her entire face covered with her fluff.

Farfetch'd directed his attention to them. "You two may go to your seats. We'll discuss your tardiness later."

Louis nodded, and staggered over to Flopsy. "Flopsy," he whispered.

To his surprise, she jumped to her feet and bolted away from the teacher, away from the rest of the class, away from _him._

"Flopsy!" he called, but when she didn't stop, he took off after her.

"Louis, get back here!" he heard Farfetch'd holler, but he ignored the bird. He didn't think about what might happen if he disobeyed the teacher's command. He didn't think that his classmates might make fun of him for running off with his supposed "mate." He didn't think about what his parents' opinion of all of this might be.

He only thought of Flopsy.

* * *

**Words:** 1,382

**Published:** Dec. 4, 2019


	6. Sorrow Turned into Joy

_**Chapter V – Sorrow Turned into Joy**_

_Arceus, Flopsy can hop fast._ This thought popped in Louis's mind as he chased after his best friend. That being said, he seemed to be gaining on her...

...until he entered the town square. _Screw market days!_ he thought exasperatedly as he pushed his way through the congested plaza.

"Watch it!" someone growled. Another Pokémon yelled something, but he didn't hear. The bunny had left the crowd and was almost out of sight; he couldn't let that happen.

"Flooooooopsy!" he yelled. She stopped and turned in the direction of his voice. His heart seemed to break at what he saw.

Her eyes were puffy and red from crying, and her tear-stained cheeks were still a little crimson from the earlier embarrassment. Her fluffy ears were droopy like a wilted flower. But the worst was the depressed expression on her beautiful face, as if the whole world had turned upside down.

And for her, that was probably true.

She scanned the crowd as Louis shoved his way toward her. When she caught sight of him, she fled. A shocking realization hit Louis: Flopsy was running away from _him._

_But why? _he wondered, though he suspected the answer. It was because he was _technically _the one who caused her all this humiliation in the first place.

At least, that's what he figured.

"Drat, she's gone," he moaned, having finally exited the town square. He couldn't believe he had failed to catch up to her. Maybe he should just give up since he didn't know where she could be...

_Arceus forbid it! You can't give up!_ he rebuked himself. Then he remembered that there _was_ one place she might have gone to: Serene Hill, the hill with the massive oak tree overlooking the village. He and Flopsy enjoyed watching the sunset and stargazing up there.

Of course, he would be doing neither, as it was still midmorning. But there was no harm in checking if she was there.

Without further delay, Louis ran to the hill and up it, giving some thought as to what he'd say and do if she happened to be there.

A moment later, he reached the top. And there she was. Propped against the tree, she sat with her fluff covering her face.

"Flopsy..." Louis said quietly, approaching her. She didn't move. "Flopsy," he repeated, and gently pulled the fluff down, taking her paws in his.

"What?" she sniffled, avoiding eye contact with him.

He took a deep breath and began, speaking clearly. "We've known each other for a long time. During that time, we were the best of friends, practically inseparable."

Flopsy nodded, probably curious as to why he was mentioning this.

"Well, recently, I've been feeling differently for you." At this, a pained, almost heartbroken expression was visible on her face, leaving Louis a little confused. "Flopsy, I—"

She suddenly shoved him forcefully away from her and bounced off. He was too stunned to move for a moment, and momentarily watched her leave. Then he snapped out of it.

"Flopsy, wait!" Louis shouted, following her.

* * *

**Open Pass, Basement First Floor**

Louis entered into a small clearing. Some poké and an oran berry littered the ground, but he took no notice of them. All he saw was Flopsy; he was thinking of just her.

He darted through the narrow paths. He had almost caught up with Flopsy…just a little further, and he could use Quick Attack to—

Suddenly, she made a sharp left, and Louis was about to turn also when something seemed to appear from the right, bumping into him.

"Ahhh!" he shrieked, and charged electricity, unleashing Thundershock on the thing, which was knocked out instantly.

He saw the creature just before it disappeared.

"A Hoothoot..." he mumbled, and facepalmed. "I just stumbled into a Mystery Dungeon and didn't even know it!"

Finding Flopsy wouldn't be easy. The layout of the place completely changed each time you went into it. As a result, one can easily get lost in them.

"If I knew I'd be going into a Mystery Dungeon, I would've brought my adventure bag with me..." he murmured. "But I'm not here to explore." He cringed, remembering his dream and their encounter the night before. "I need to find Flopsy and get her out of here before the Shadow Knights find either of us."

With newfound determination, he zoomed through the corridors and rooms, ignoring the items (he wouldn't have anywhere to put them) and battling Pokémon along the way.

Soon, he found the stairs and advanced to the next floor.

* * *

**Open Pass, Basement Second Floor**

Louis began in the middle a long, narrow room with a path on either side. Obviously, there wasn't much he could do but try one way, since he knew where neither one led.

He chose to go left. After Thundershocking another Hoothoot, he abandoned himself to his thoughts.

Louis and Flopsy had been best friends ever since the latter, alone, frightened, and hurt, arrived at Serene Town.

He remembered that day as if it had happened yesterday...

* * *

_A five-year-old Pichu played at the foot of Serene Hill._

_"I am Sir Louis, the Serene Knight!" he hollered in a kingly tone, holding up a stick and swinging it around as if it was a sword. "And I'm gonna save the world from the bad Dark Matters!" Then he proceeded to dual with an invisible enemy, slashing, parrying, and feinting in a very clumsy and child-like manner._

_"C'mon, Shade! You're supposed to be the Dark Matters!" he shouted at the tree's shadow. From the gloom a Duskull emerged._

_"You know I do not approve of all this childish...playing around," he replied curtly._

_"Aww, please?" he begged, but the Requiem Pokémon remained resolute._

_Finally, Louis said, "I'll play hide-and-seek with you later if you play Knights with me now."_

_A creepy smile appeared on his companion's face. "It's a deal."_

_"Yay!" The Pichu cheered, throwing his paws into the air. Just then, He heard someone hop out of the entrance of the Open Pass._

_Louis swung around, pointing his "sword" at the source of the noise. "_En garde_!"_

_The creature shrieked in alarm. "Don't eat me!" she cried, covering her eyes with her paws._

_Surprised, he dropped the stick, staring at the Pokémon in front of him. It was a pitiful sight. The Pokémon's cream-colored fluff and chocolatey-brown fur were matted with dirt and dry blood. From head to foot she was covered with bruises, cuts and sores. Both her ears were drooped depressingly, and the utter expression of terror and pain on her face, both emotional and physical, would be forever imprinted onto his soul._

_"I'm...sorry," Louis stuttered, taking a step towards the Buneary, but he didn't dare touch her. She looked so fragile. "Can I...can I help you?"_

_She backed away from the friendly Pichu. "Please don't hurt me..." she whimpered, her paws still partially hiding her eyes._

_"I shall look for Nurse Chansey," Shade told Louis. Louis nodded his consent, and Shade left._

_He finally mustered up the courage to gently embrace her. The bunny flinched a little, but she soon leaned into his chest, a sigh escaping her lips._

She's shaking a lot, _Louis noticed. _She must've been scared really bad.

_After a moment, he said softly, "My name is Louis. Who are you?"_

_The bunny was silent for a little bit. "I'm Flopsy," she replied at last._

* * *

**Lush Forest, Basement Fourth Floor**

"Where _can_ she be?" muttered Louis, glancing around nervously. He had cleared the remaining floors in Open Pass and entered into Lush Forest. But even after passing the first three floors, and reaching the stairs in the fourth, he still hadn't seen any sign of her.

He was starting to worry.

Noticing another wild Pokémon approaching him, he used Quick Attack to close the distance between them and wipe out the opponent. He found the stairs and advanced to the final floor.

* * *

**Lush Forest, Depths**

Louis arrived at a large open space. _Strange...usually a floor is a maze of corridors and rooms,_ he thought, but abandoned the notion when he noticed someone at the end of the clearing.

"Flopsy!" Louis called, and bounded to her.

The bunny's ears twitched, and she spun around. An expression of surprise was on her countenance, but that emotion changed to one of anger.

"Louis? What're you doing here?" she demanded.

Louis stared at her. She looked the same as before, but added to that was the cold glare she gave him. He stepped forward. "Just let me explain..." he begged.

Flopsy turned her back on him, covering her face with her paws. "I already know. You don't like me anymore! Can't we leave it at that?"

"No, we can't," he replied, and tried to rest his paw on her shoulder, but she swatted it off.

"And why not?"

"Because it's not true."

Flopsy faced him with wide eyes, lowering her paws. "You mean—"

Louis took her paws into his own. "I do. Flopsy, I...I...I love you. With my whole heart."

The rabbit was speechless.

_Oh, no. Does she not feel the same way for me?_ Louis worried, releasing her paws.

Then she squealed gleefully and flung her arms around him, nearly sending him toppling down onto the grass. "Oh, Louie, I'm so glad!"

He smiled, and returned the hug. _Well, that says everything,_ he thought, happiness flooding his heart.

They remained in each other's arms for a few more moments. Louis smoothed the fur on her back as she nuzzled his cheek. She was so warm...he never wanted to let go.

Eventually, his eyes met with Flopsy's. He unconsciously brought one paw to the back of her head. Then closing his eyes, he closed the distance between their lips.

If Louis didn't feel like he was in Paradise before, he did now.

Flopsy seemed surprised at first, but soon kissed him back. Louis had this warm sensation all over—sure, he'd had this feeling before whenever she hugged him, but it was never so explicit, so captivating, so...amazing. He thoroughly enjoyed it.

He pulled her closer to him, kissing her more passionately than ever. He didn't want it to end.

Unfortunately, Louis was running out of oxygen. He slowly pulled away from her.

"I love you too," Flopsy whispered.

Louis chuckled, caressing her cheek. "It's a little late for that, y'know, since we already kissed."

She smiled. "Yeah, but I thought I should say it anyway."

They stood together in silence for a few more moments—happy, but feeling a little awkward.

"So...what now?" Flopsy asked.

Louis stared upward. He remembered his dream, and felt unsafe being in the middle of a mystery dungeon with only Flopsy. "We should probably be heading back. I don't know how long we've been gone, but I'm sure Mom and Dad must be getting worried. Sparky, too."

"And Nurse Chansey, too. Heck, _everyone's _probably worried," the bunny added.

He nodded. After all, they _were_ pretty well known throughout the village. For good and bad reasons.

"Well, that settles it, I guess. Want to come to my house for dinner?"

Flopsy hopped up and down in excitement. "Oh, yes, please! I'll take every opportunity I can get to spend time with my boyfriend!" she exclaimed, which caused Louis to blush.

"You don't have to proclaim it to the entire world," he scolded playfully.

After she calmed down a little, Louis took her paw into his. _Hopefully nothing happens to ruin the moment,_ he thought.

But alas, tempting fate is never a good thing, and they only made it the length of the clearing when a comically low-key voice roared from behind the two lovers:

"Where do you think you're going?"

* * *

**Words:** 1,932

**Published on:** Dec. 12, 2019


	7. Shock

_**Chapter VI – Shock**_

"_How is she?" Louis asked Nurse Chansey in the corridor of Chansey's Orphanage, where he lived. It had been two days since he met Flopsy, but didn't have an opportunity to speak to Chansey about her until now._

_Chansey glanced at the Pichu for a moment, as if confused, then stared out of a dark window (as it was night) and inquired, "You mean the Buneary you found?"_

_Louis nodded. "Yup."_

"_With the exception of a few cuts and bruises, she's fine. However, she appears to have amnesia."_

"_What's amnesh...amnez...err, that?" He hid his face a little in embarrassment. For some reason, he couldn't pronounce it._

"_Amnesia is simply a fancy word for memory loss."_

_This made Louis confused. _But...but she can't have lost her memory! She told me her name._ He decided not to ask how that could be, however. Instead, he questioned, "Where is she going to live?"_

"_Well, I guess since she doesn't have a home, and no known relatives, I guess she'll be staying here for the time being."_

_Louis had been hoping for that answer, but didn't show any emotion. "Can I see her?"_

"_I wouldn't see why not. Follow me." Chansey led the young Pichu to a large hallway on the third floor. "It's the third door to the right," she instructed, then left._

_Louis went quietly to the door. He read the plaque on it. "Room 87... Wow, I never noticed there were so many rooms in this place."_

_He turned the knob and pushed the door open. The room was cubic, the length and height of each wall the same. It was painted a sterile white, but he could still see the outline of each brick. There wasn't much furniture: just a cot fashioned from straw and in the corner a small tray containing some bandages and such._

"_L-Louis..." he heard a voice whisper._

_Louis bounded to the bed. "Flopsy," he said._

_From what he could tell (a thin blanket covered the lower half of her body, apparently for warmth), she seemed OK. Her fur and fluff were clean; the injuries were also cleaned and bandaged appropriately; the bruises were for the most part gone; and there no longer remained that terrified expression she had on her face when he first met her. However, there was still a tiny hint of alarm in her eyes._

_He flinched, recalling the state she was in before._

"_Flopsy," Louis repeated. _

"_Yeah?"_

"_How are you?"_

"_F-fine, I guess," she replied, bringing the blanket up to her chin. "I'm a...l-little cold, though. Do you...do you think you can—can you...snuggle up close to me?"_

_It was an odd request, but Louis knew she was cold, and he remembered the last time she was in his arms. He'd had this warm feeling, almost as if he felt secure being with her. Maybe she had the same feeling when she was with him?_

"_Okay," he said at last, climbing onto the straw bed. He wrapped the blanket snugly around the two of them._

_Flopsy nuzzled him affectionately. "Thank you, Louie," she purred._

_The Pichu blushed, but didn't respond. _

_Silence overtook them for a few moments. Louis figured his roommate had fallen asleep and was dozing off himself when she asked suddenly, "Do you have any parents?"_

_The question caught him by surprise. "Umm...no," he said. "They died when I was young. How about you?"_

_She was quiet for what felt like forever. Louis thought she had fallen asleep until she mumbled something inaudibly._

_Louis couldn't hear her. "Sorry, but can you repeat that?"_

"_I do not," she said, rather loudly._

I'm right, then. She obviously doesn't have memory loss, _Louis thought, smiling. But there was something he wanted to ask. "How did you get all bruised and scratched up before?"_

_The Pichu felt Flopsy press herself closer to him. "P-Please don't ask. It's just...too dreadful to even think about." She started to shake._

_Louis hadn't intended for this to happen. He rubbed her back soothingly. "I'm sorry... I won't ask about that ever again."_

_Flopsy sniffled a little. "Louie?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_Will you keep me safe?"_

_Even though they had just met, Louis liked the bunny. He didn't want any harm to come to her. "Yes, I will... I promise," Louis replied._

_Flopsy nuzzled Louis's cheek. "Thank you," she whispered in his ear._

_If Louis were older, he would have probably been rather embarrassed about how close they were. But being only a few years of age, he didn't see anything wrong with it._

_Louis yawned, closing his eyes. Within moments, he was fast asleep._

* * *

The young couple spun around at the sound of the voice. Flopsy hid behind Louis in fright.

It was a Quagsire; and a very mean-looking one indeed. Heck, if looks could kill, both of them would be dead by now.

"I've been looking for you for years," he growled, glaring at Louis.

Louis stared at him. He didn't remember ever having seen this Pokémon before. "What are you talking about? I don't even know you."

"I wasn't talking about you," he replied in a deadly tone.

Putting two and two together, the Pikachu looked back at Flopsy. "Who is this?" he asked her gently.

Flopsy opened her mouth to speak, but the Quagsire cut in angrily. "Do you think I can't tell you who I am? I am Sir Mudslide, a commander of the Shadow Knights. You know who else I am?"

Louis shook his head, glaring at the commander. "I don't care who you are—"

"Hey, Fluff-Butt!" he broke in. "Tell your—"

Electricity crackled from Louis's cheeks as he clenched his fists. "Her name is Flopsy," he snarled, interrupting him. "Don't you _ever_ call her anything else!"

Though Mudslide probably knew electric-type moves won't affect him, he nervously stepped back. "Umm, Flopsy...tell your...er, him who I am."

Relaxing somewhat, Louis turned slightly to Flopsy. "You know who this creep is?" he asked her quietly.

She nodded slowly, though she seemed extremely hesitant to tell him.

Louis took her paw in his. "Who is he?"

Flopsy began to shake a little, tears coming to her eyes. "He is... He is my...father," she replied.

* * *

**Words:** 1,030

**Published on: **Jan. 1, 2020


	8. The (Un)helpful Eavesdropper

_**Chapter VII – The (Un)helpful Eavesdropper**_

Louis stared at Flopsy. Wow. He had never anticipated something like _that_. "He's your _father?_" he echoed incredulously.

She nodded.

"Your...biological father?"

"Of _course_ I'm her biological father," Mudslide boomed. "You really think I would ever _adopt_ such a pathetic weakling?"

Something within Louis snapped as he said those words. He faced the Quagsire, his eyes blazing. "_What _did you say?"

Mudslide glared back. "I said, you really think I would ever adopt such a pathetic wea—gaah!" A knot of grass appeared from underneath him and tripped him.

He picked himself up, coughing a little, and looked around angrily. "Who did tha—oof!" He doubled over as Louis Quick Attacked him in the gut.

He retaliated by using Waterfall. A surge of water slammed into Louis, sending him flying backward.

Flopsy hopped over to Louis, who was staggering to his feet. "Are you OK?" she asked worriedly.

"I'm...fine," he gasped, and was preparing another Quick Attack when a wave of water crashed into both of them.

Louis gasped for air, but instead inhaled a little water. He grabbed Flopsy and held onto her.

The water subsided as quickly as it had come, leaving the two drenched.

Louis tried to stand. There was a searing pain in his right leg, and he collapsed.

_Arceus, how could things have gone from the two of us confessing to each other to Flopsy's father showing up and trying to kill us? _he thought miserably, as his vision clouding from pain and exhaustion.

He slapped himself roughly in the face, trying to keep himself from fainting. _No matter what, I can't let him win. But how?_

Mudslide smirked triumphantly. "It's hopeless," he declared. "Hand her over to me and I _might_ spare your life...if you join us."

_After what he did to me, the fool really thinks I would? _"Over my...dead body," he replied firmly.

The Quagsire glared pitifully at him. Louis glared back. "That's too bad. We'd have made a great team, and you would've been able to see my daughter whenever you wanted to."

"See her be...tortured and...maltreated... No thanks," Louis muttered.

Mudslide shrugged. "Whatever. It's time to end this, anyhow."

Knowing that there was nothing he could do to stop it, Louis clenched his eyes shut, waiting for the final blow. But it never came.

"You can open your eyes, Louie," he heard Flopsy say a moment later. He opened his eyes.

The Quagsire was sprawled on the leafy ground, clearly unconscious by the surprised expression that was frozen on his face. Beside the knocked out Pokémon was Flopsy. Besides being wet, she seemed to be perfectly fine.

Louis's jaw dropped. "Flopsy, how...how did you—"

"All it took was a couple of surprise Drain Punches in the face," she replied, "and an Attack Ribbon to make the move more powerful."

_Funny...I didn't even hear her leave my side,_ Louis thought as he hobbled into Flopsy's arms.

"I thought I was supposed to protect you," he said, hugging her.

"Well, I can't let you do all the work, can I? After all, he _is_ my father. I've always wanted to give him a taste of his own medicine."

She smiled at him, and Louis smiled back.

"You're not only a cute bunny, but you're a strong one, too," he said, leaning against her chest.

Flopsy blushed. "I'm the one who's supposed to compliment you, not the other way around."

"And I'm the one who's supposed to hold you in my arms, not the other way around," he argued.

"We're holding each other," she stated.

Louis shrugged. "I guess you're right."

"You _guess?_"

"To the best of my knowledge, you're right," he corrected himself.

Both were silent as Louis enjoyed the moment. Though she was soaked from the Surf move that the Quagsire used, she was still irresistibly adorable and stunningly beautiful. He wouldn't mind if he stayed in her arms for an eternity.

He was still confused about one thing, though. "Flopsy?"

"Hmm?"

"Remember when we first met?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Well, you told me you didn't have any parents. Why didn't you tell me the truth?"

Flopsy sighed. "I didn't lie. I mean, my father is spiritually dead, and my mother really is dead. If both my parents are not living, then I'm an orphan, right?"

"I suppose," Louis replied.

Again, both were quiet. Then Flopsy said, "We should be getting back. We don't want anybody to worry about us."

Louis chuckled. "That's what we were doing before we were attacked. What should we do with him?" he asked, gesturing to Mudslide.

"Well, we should drag him back to Serene Village and hand him over to the police, but he looks too heavy."

"That's why we're here!"

Louis gasped, stepping away from Flopsy. He yelped when he put weight on his injured leg, and fell onto his tail. "Ambo?" he asked, getting into a sitting position. But his astonishment soon turned into anger. "How long have you been watching us?"

The monkey Pokémon emerged from some brush, followed by Magnemite, Magneton, and Magnezone. "Just before you two kissed. Why?" she responded as the trio of electric-types dragged Flopsy's still unconscious father away.

"You mean—"

"I mean, I followed you as you chased after Flops"—Louis glared at her for using 'Flops' instead of 'Flopsy';—"and watched your cheesy reunion. Then, when I heard the Quagsire freak declare he was a Shadow Knight, I left to get the cops, so they could pick up the criminal as soon as you finished 'im off."

Louis listened in deathly silence. "In other words," he said, "you eavesdropped on us, then at the first sign of danger, instead of _helping_ us, you instead rushed off to get the police?"

Ambo nodded. "Yup. By the way, you're welcome!"

No words could describe how Louis felt at this moment. Let's just say he _so_ wanted to kill the rascal right there, right now.

But of course he couldn't; that would be murder, and though the cops were gone by now, he didn't want to take the chance of being accused for killing her.

So he just took one very deep breath and glanced at Flopsy. "Can you...uh, please help me?" he requested in a sweet tone.

"Umm... Okay," she responded, helping him to his feet.

Louis draped one arm around her to keep himself up. "Thank you, Flopsy," he said, giving her a strained smile. _Heck, Ambo knows we're a couple now, so I might as well rub it in her face_. With this thought in mind, he brought his free paw to Flopsy's cheek and leaned forward, kissing her.

Flopsy seemed a little surprised at first that he would do that in front of someone, but soon forgot about that and kissed him back. When they pulled away, Louis grinned at the Aipom, who grinned back, but he knew she was hiding something underneath that cheery face. Jealousy, perhaps?

After all, though she was kind of the class clown of Serene School, she pretty much had zero friends, much less a fiancé.

Now Louis felt bad for wanting her dead. Maybe...maybe it's her lack of friends that's the problem. Perhaps if she had a friend or two, she would at least be less mean with her jokes and stuff. He could help with that by being nice to her, and there's no better time for that than the present.

"By the way, Ambo," he said, "it was ultimately you who brought all of this about. If it weren't for you, Flopsy and I wouldn't be a couple, and Flopsy's father would still be roaming about, looking for her. So...thank you."

Ambo puffed out her chest. "'Tis all in a day's work," she said proudly, a genuine smile plastered on her face. "But we've got to get you lovebirds back home. Boy, will everyone be surprised!"

"Yeah," Louis said, sighing inwardly and leaning against Flopsy. It really would be a huge surprise for everyone.

* * *

**Words:** 1,328

**Published on: **Jan. 3, 2020


	9. A Dismal Surprise

_**Chapter VIII – A Dismal Surprise**_

The first place Louis, Flopsy, and Ambo went to was Serene School.

"Shouldn't we be going to the orphanage or Louie's house first so he can rest?" Flopsy asked Ambo.

"I agree. I-I think I might've broken my leg," Louis put in. It was so annoying for him not to be able to walk on his own, and the pain was almost unbearable, even though Flopsy was so warm...

_No, can't get distracted with those thoughts,_ he scolded himself. _There are more important matters at paw._

The Aipom smirked at Louis. "You just took down a Shadow Knight! I think you're man enough to take a little more pain! Besides, this is big news! I've gotta tell everyone!"

"Well, it was actually Flopsy who knocked him out," he corrected.

"Who cares? Just stop yappin' and pick up the pace! We've got lots to tell."

"Rather, _you've_ got lots to tell," Louis grumbled to himself.

Flopsy glared at Ambo, stopping. "We should just ditch her and take care of you first," she whispered in Louis's ear.

He had considered that, but he wanted to make her feel, well...included? No, that was the wrong word for it. Maybe happy? Anyway, he had decided against it.

"Let's just humor her," Louis replied.

"But you're hurt—"

"Please, Flopsy."

Flopsy was quiet a moment, then she nodded reluctantly. "Whatever you think is best."

"C'mon, guys! We haven't got all day!" Ambo yelled to them.

Flopsy started moving, helping Louis along.

"And maybe pick up the pace, like I said earlier," the monkey Pokémon added.

"We're already doing what you want to do. Don't push us," Flopsy murmured.

Ambo bounced to them. "I didn't hear you. What'd you say?"

"We'll try, Ambo!" Flopsy yelled.

The Aipom stumbled back. "No need to yell," she said.

The bunny smiled innocently. "I just wanted to make sure you heard me."

Louis stared at Flopsy. Wow, she really didn't like Ambo, huh? Guess that wasn't a surprise, though, considering all the humiliation the monkey had inflicted upon her.

Hopefully, there wouldn't be more of that in store for them in the future...

Finally, after an agonizingly long time, they arrived. Louis saw that everyone was having lunch. He suddenly felt hungry, remembering that he hadn't eaten anything since dinnertime the day before.

However, he didn't have any time to reflect on that. Ambo made her grand appearance (by jumping out of a tree and landing right in the midst of them). Several of the students shrieked, and a Munna fainted melodramatically.

"Hey, everybody! Flopsy and Louis are a couple now!" Ambo hollered.

After the initial shock, everyone was silent for a moment, then Blitzle started laughing. The others joined in.

Ambo glanced around blankly. "What's so funny? Don't you believe me?"

"You really expect us to believe that? You've joked about it so much that it can't possibly be true," Blitzle said.

The Aipom facepalmed and glared at him indignantly. "If you don't believe me, go ask them yourself!"

"Wh— They're here?"

"Yup! Right over there." She motioned to Louis and Flopsy.

Everyone looked. "Are you two in love?" someone yelled.

Flopsy and Louis blushed, both nodding.

"We are," Flopsy squeaked. Louis had no idea how they would react.

Everybody was silent. Then somebody started cheering, and soon everyone joined in. A loud din of voices followed.

"I knew they'd be a couple someday!"

"You lose the bet, Archen. Better pay up!"

"Aww, okay. I will as soon as I can."

"I totally shipped them from the beginning!"

"PikaBun forever!"

"No, it's Lagomorph."

"Gah, who cares? They all mean the same thing anyway!"

"Let's celebrate!"

_What the heck? Was this really real?_ Louis thought. The way everyone was acting, one might think he started dating a celebrity, not another student like himself.

Even Ambo joined in the celebration. "Maybe everything else I joked about will come true someday, too!" she exclaimed.

Everyone hushed instantly. "You mean the stuff where they have kids and all that?" someone asked.

"You betcha!"

This made everyone even wilder. "They're gonna have kids too!" Blitzle said.

Flopsy flushed even more, covering her face with her fluff.

"Whoa, let's not get too ahead of ourselves. I've only just started dating her, you know," Louis said hastily.

Unfortunately, his voice was drowned out by all the carrying on.

_Funny the teachers haven't come out to see what all the commotion's all about,_ Louis thought. _They mustn't be around._

This gave him an idea. "Flopsy," he said quietly (though that was probably unnecessary, because no one could hear them anyway).

"Wh-what?" she stammered.

"Let's go to the nurse's tent. Maybe we could spend some time together there."

Flopsy lightened up a bit at the suggestion, and she helped him there. She held up the flap, and he hobbled in.

As Louis had guessed, the tent was empty, though it looked like Nurse Audino had left in a rush. Bandages were strewn about, and several apples lay forgotten on the counter. The two straw beds were newly made.

Seeing the apples, Louis's stomach growled. "Let's eat—"

"I'm going to take care of your leg first," Flopsy interrupted. "Then you can eat."

She led him to one of the beds. Louis lay down, and Flopsy started to collect the bandages.

"But...but you don't know—"

"Yes, I do. I took those extra classes with Nurse Audino after school last quarter. Don't you remember?"

Louis thought a moment. He did remember sitting outside the tent for an hour each day waiting for her. "Oh, so that's what you were doing in there?"

She nodded. "What'd you think I was doing?"

The Pikachu blushed. "I—I don't know...after you screamed when you went in there that first day, it was hard to figure out what was going on in there..."

"That was because Nurse Audino was treating some Rapidash whose back legs were somehow busted really badly. I hadn't expected walking into _that_." She dumped the bandages onto the other bed. "Anyway, enough about me; let's take care of you.

"Now, this is going to hurt, but I have to straighten your leg and bandage it so it can heal properly."

Louis shuttered. "Will it hurt?"

Flopsy nodded, and lowered her head. "Yes; a lot." She sighed. "I...don't want to see you in pain. If you want to wait for Nurse Audino, she can give you something to quell the pain—"

"No." Louis lifted her head with his paw, looking into her eyes. "I trust you, Flopsy."

"You...you do?"

"More than anyone else on the planet."

Flopsy smiled, blushing. "O-okay." She took a deep breath and rested her paws on either side of the spot where his leg was broken. With a quick jerk, she pushed it back in place.

"Owww!" Louis shrieked. The pain was more than he had expected; much, much more. It was as if someone broke his leg all over again...no, it was worse than that. He couldn't even explain how much it hurt. He started to become dizzy, his vision blurring.

Then he felt Flopsy's soft lips press against his and her arms wrapped around his body. All he could do was hug her back and return the kiss.

When his vision cleared and the pain finally dissipated, he pulled away from Flopsy.

"I'm sorry," she murmured.

Louis gazed at her lovingly. It was debatable which of the two had felt the most pain during this episode. "There's no need to be. You helped me. Thank you."

Flopsy smiled sheepishly, and finished the work by covering his leg in the bandage.

Funny how different he was when he was around Flopsy. By all outward appearances it seemed as if he was the leader, but she was truly the one who lighted the way for him.

Louis's stomach growled loudly, startling both of them.

"Sounds like you're hungry," Flopsy remarked, and hopped to the apples. "Here, catch."

Louis brought both paws up, barely catching the juicy fruit. He scrutinized it and bit in. "A little bruised, but thanks," he said, his mouth full.

"You mustn't speak with your mouth full," she scolded playfully, then started nibbling daintily on hers.

Shrugging, he grinned. He couldn't help being starving.

He thought how ironic it was that she ate so gracefully and was so motherly and "lady-like"; but in battle, she could be a beast, more violent than a pack of Houndooms. That was just one of the many things he admired about her, though.

"Why don't you sit by me?" Louis asked.

Flopsy lowered her eyes. "Well, I would, but there's nowhere to sit."

"How about you combine the beds? That should work," he suggested.

"That's a good idea!" Flopsy said, and did so, softly humming to herself all the while.

Louis watched with veneration and affection. She was so cute, adorable, beautiful, kind, loving, bright... The list went on. In other words, he felt so lucky that she was his, all his. Things would certainly have been very different had she met someone else before him.

"Umm...Louie?"

"Yeah?" Louis glanced at her. She was lying next to him, her body pressed against his.

"How long do you think it'll take everyone to figure out we're gone?" she asked.

There was silence as Louis thought a moment. Wait...silence? What happened to all the—

Louis glanced at the ground and saw a shadow...of an Aipom.

_Holy Mew! They're watching us,_ Louis thought. _How did Flopsy not notice?_

He glanced at Flopsy, who was now resting her head on his chest.

"Flopsy," he whispered into her ear.

"Hmm?"

"Someone's watching us."

Flopsy sat up. "Who?" she demanded to know, though the answer was obvious. She clenched her fists. "Ambo! Show yourself!"

Louis pointed to the window Ambo was peeking out of. "She's up there," he said.

Ambo smirked at them. "Hey, lovebirds," she cooed.

Flopsy glared at the monkey Pokémon. "Have you made it your life work to spy on and humiliate us or something!?"

"Well, that depends," she replied. "If you mean—"

"Just leave us alone!"

Louis tucked his ears back. "Not so loud, Flopsy! Are you trying to make me deaf or something?"

Flopsy's anger quickly melted into remorse. "I'm sorry..."

"It's okay; just please don't yell."

"What were you guys doing in here anyway?" Ambo asked.

"I don't see how that's any of your business," Louis replied.

The Aipom pretended to pout. "By the way, no one knew you were in here until you shrieked something. So I wonder what you were doing before that..."

"I don't see how that's any of your business," he repeated.

Ambo scrutinized Louis and Flopsy for a moment, murmuring to herself. Then she blushed...wait, she blushed? Louis groaned. What did she have up her sleeve now? He braced himself for what humiliating thing might escape her lips.

"It seems another one of my predictions came true," she yelled behind her.

"What are you talking about? What prediction?" Louis asked.

Ambo looked back. "Aren't you two a little young, though? I mean, don't you do that...stuff when you're at least eighteen?"

Louis glared at her. "We're a little young for what stuff?"

"For having kids," she answered.

What would make her think that? His eyes rested on his leg, which was becoming stiff from the lack of movement. Flopsy's left paw was brushing against the upper part of his thigh. Wait a minute...the upper part of his—?

Oh, Arceus.

His face became very hot. "F-Flopsy," he stammered. "Y-your paw is, umm..."

Luckily, Flopsy got the idea, and quickly removed her paw, her face going red.

Louis tried to banish the blush from his face, but it wasn't working. So he settled on trying to not murder Ambo.

He sat up. "We never did what you suggested," he said in a calm but deadly tone.

Apparently the Aipom didn't get the message. "And how do I know you're not just lying to me?"

"When have I lied to you?"

"Just yesterday. Remember after school when I asked you if you were tired, and you said no, but less than an hour later you were sleeping under that big tree on the hill?"

"The lie was only trivial."

"It was still a lie nonetheless. What would be stopping you from lying now?"

Louis finally snapped. He had been able to tolerate Ambo's antics before, but this...this was an invasion of his and Flopsy's privacy. "I wouldn't lie about something like this!" he yelled.

Ambo flinched, but he wasn't done.

"And you know what? If you even so much as joke about my relationship with Flopsy, you're going to wish Arceus never put you on this planet!"

A dramatic silence followed. Then someone spoke...behind him.

"So is that why you ran off earlier today, Louis? To confess to Flopsy?"

Louis shivered. He recognized that voice. It was the voice of a Watchog...and not just _any_ Watchog. No, it was Mr. Watchog, the _principal_ or Serene School and the _mayor_ of the village.

"Erm...not exactly," he responded without turning.

"But that is what you did, yes?"

"I guess."

"Yes or no?"

"Umm...yes." Louis heard Watchog exhale sharply, something he did when he was trying to control his anger. He braced himself for the consequences. But what the mayor-principal said next was something he had never dreamed would happen.

"Then beginning tomorrow, I, as mayor of Serene Village and principal of Serene School, hereby prohibit you from seeing Flopsy."

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**Words:** 2,245

**Published on: **Jan. 10, 2020


	10. Deceit

_**Chapter IX – Deceit**_

There was deathly silence. Even Ambo was speechless. Then Flopsy started to sob.

"Come with me," Watchog said sternly to Louis.

Lois rubbed the back of his head. "Err...I can't. You see, my leg was broken, and..."

"Then I'll carry you," he replied, and lifted him.

"W-where are we going?" he asked as they exited the Nurse Audino's tent. Luckily there was no one else around. Otherwise, Louis would've felt very awkward.

"We are going to my office."

"And why?"

"You and I have some talking to do."

Louis had (fortunately) never seen the principal's office, where Watchog did all his paperwork and stuff. First off, it was in a single-room building. Bookshelves jam-packed with scrolls, pamphlets, and books lined the walls. There was a circular desk in the center; several wooden chairs were on the end closest to the entrance, and a large cushioned chair was on the opposite end. It was very organized; the desk was empty of any clutter, and each bookshelf was precisely labeled. Added to that, the dirt floor was the cleanest dirt floor Louis had ever seen, if that was even possible.

He was gently set down in one of the chairs, propping his leg with the other one. (Not the comfortable one, of course. Watchog sat adjacent to him on that one.)

As soon as both of them were seated, Louis asked, "Why are you doing this to us?"

"To preserve peace," Watchog replied promptly.

Louis raised an eyebrow questioningly.

The principal sighed. "Louis, you ran off, and when neither you nor Flopsy returned, everyone was worried. The entire staff, with the exception of Farfetch'd, left to look for you, and as soon as lunch period began, he, too, went looking for you. And if you caused us all that worry just to meet with Flopsy alone, when you could have done it some other time—"

"But that wasn't why I left," Louis interrupted.

Watchog sauntered to him. He rested a paw the Pikachu's shoulder. "Why, then?" he asked calmly.

Woah. Watchog never calmed down _that _quickly with anyone else. There must be something about him that was special... Wait a minute...no, he was still angry, but he wanted to know something, so he was being nice. Watchog was treating Louis as if he were a mere toddler. Louis mentally flinched. He had to be careful about what he told him.

"I—I didn't want anything to happen to her," he replied.

"Is that not what we all want?"

"Yes. But I love her, and even if I just thought of her as a friend, I promised to keep her safe."

He lifted his paw and waved it at him as if he did something bad and he was rebuking him for it. "It is not a very bright idea to be promising such a thing."

"Well, in my defense, I was just a Pichu at the time. But a promise is a promise, and I wouldn't take it back, no matter what."

Watchog grunted, then clasped Louis's shoulders. "Is that all? You have no other reason for which you chased after her? No one _warned_ you about anything?"

Louis squirmed a little. The evolution of Patrat was hurting him a little, and the last thing he had said set off red lights. "No. No one warned me of anything," he lied.

The Watchog released him. "I have another thing to ask you," he said, circling him like a predator would its prey.

Louis rubbed his slightly sore shoulders, feeling rather nervous. "What is it?"

"Have you ever wondered who your parents were?"

He thought for a moment. "Well, I did a lot while still living at the orphanage. But since having Pachi, Tails, and Sparky as family, I hadn't thought much about it."

"How would you like to know who your mother was?" he asked.

Louis smiled and nodded. "I think I would like that. Who was she?"

Then Watchog laughed. It was a ruthless, almost pitying laugh, if such a paradoxical statement could possibly exist. Louis flinched for real this time.

The principal of Serene School looked Louis in the eye. "What's the fun in telling you? How about you _see for yourself?_" He lunged at Louis. "Hyper Fang!"

"What the—" he fell out of his seat, barely evading the attack. "Oww!" he gasped when he injured leg hit the ground. "P-principal Watchog!" he gasped. "What the heck are you doing?"

He growled at him. "I'm trying to weaken you, if you didn't already figure that out," he replied. "Now stay still, so I can do that. Hyper Fang!"

Louis couldn't dodge the attack that time. Watchog painfully bit into his side, and the defenseless Pikachu sensed his health drain.

He stared at the ceiling of the office, then covered his mouth and coughed. He lifted his paw and glanced at it. The paw was speckled with red. He let it drop limply to his side.

Ohh...coughing up blood couldn't be good. But he had to get as much information as possible...there was nothing else he could do.

"W-why?" Louis croaked.

"Why am I doing this? I can't kill you right here, so I'm knocking you out and doing it later. Before you wake up again, I may add. Your precious Flopsy will never know what exactly became of you. I'll tell her that I sent you home, and that you must've been captured by the Shadow Knights on the way there. However, I assure you that I won't physically harm her in any way."

"W-why...me?" he asked, wheezing.

"Now you're asking why I want to kill you? It's a long story,"—Watchog banged his fist on the desk—"but let's just say I'm not on good terms with humans or anyone who knowingly associates with them."

"Wh...wh—" was all he could muster. He could barely keep his eyes open.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you. You're human. Now how do you like that?" His voice sounded hollow, like an echo.

"I—uhhh..." Louis moaned, and his eyelids fluttered shut.

Everything went black...

_**\- End of Part I -**_

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**Words:** 1,016

**Published on: **January 17, 2020


	11. An Unlikely Companion

_**Part II, Chapter I – An Unlikely Companion**_

"Louie..." Flopsy whimpered. She still couldn't believe she was banned from seeing him. They had been a couple for only a few hours (a few hours!), and already they were not allowed to be with each other. Maybe after Louis explained everything, it would be all right for them to at least visit each other occasionally...

She wondered how much longer he and Principal Watchog's conversation would last. Hopefully, not much longer. She felt she couldn't leave until the principal said so.

"Hey, Flopsy, you all right?" a voice asked loudly from behind her.

The bunny jumped. "Holy Arceus, Ambo! How'd you get in here so quickly? And without me noticing?"

The Aipom shrugged. "It's obvious. I just climbed through the window. And about you not noticing...well, you _were_ deep in thought."

Flopsy sighed. "I suppose..."

"Thinkin' about Louis?"

She nodded sullenly. Ambo had hit the nail on the head, as the saying goes. "Yeah...I wonder if he's OK."

"Well," Ambo replied, adding a sort of authority to her voice, "there's only one way to find out! Eavesdrop!"

Flopsy's eyes widened. "B-b-but I never eavesdropped— What if they catch us?"

The Aipom facepalmed. "Okay, that's why I'm here: to show you how to. And as for them catching us, over my dead body!" She puffed out her chest. "'Tis'll be a cold day in hell when _that_ happens!"

Flopsy was still skeptical. "If you say so... But if they _do _catch us—"

"They won't!"

She glared at her. She really didn't like her, but she needed to know what was going on in the principal's office, and Ambo was pretty much volunteering to help. "Okay, I'll come with you, but _hypothetically speaking,_ if they catch us, I'll place every ounce of blame on you."

Ambo smiled. "Deal."

With that out of the way, it was now onto the actual spying part.

"Just follow my lead," Ambo advised, and scrambled out the window. Flopsy elegantly hopped out after her.

Ambo glanced in her direction. "You needn't be so graceful," she hissed.

"I can't help it," she hissed back.

The Aipom opened her mouth, then shut it again. "Let's just go," she finally mumbled, turning away.

The short distance from the nurse's tent to the principal's office was traveled in bitter silence. Both refused to look each other in the eye, and Flopsy for one was fuming over...well, everything about her companion. The way she acted, how she had a knack at embarrassing her and Louis, that obnoxious sense of superiority she seemed to show...all of it she strongly disliked. Even her skill in eavesdropping; though useful, again, something she didn't like. In addition, Ambo was _so nosy._ Not to mention sometimes being a pervert, too. It was fortunate she and Louis didn't take things a step further when they were in the forest together...though she probably would've watched all that casually, all the while munching Oran berries or Pecha berries or whatever she eats.

Well, through it all, Flopsy _did_ have to admit that Ambo wasn't 100% bad. After all, she had enough sense to call the cops, so to speak, when her father appeared. (She shuttered a little when she recalled that incident.) Also, she was helping her right now, although she probably would've eavesdropped on them no matter what.

Flopsy couldn't read Ambo's thoughts, but she was sure the feeling of animosity was mutual.

When they reached the back of Principal and Mayor Watchog's office, Ambo stopped. Flopsy did the same.

"Okay," Ambo began quietly. Apparently she had calmed down, because her voice was nonchalant. That or she was a great actress. Flopsy honestly couldn't tell. "Ever since Watchog installed that stupid glass to his windows, I couldn't hear what was going on. But that didn't hinder me from _seeing._"

"But it would take two of you to be able to look into the window," Flopsy interrupted, motioning to the window a foot or two above them. "And there are no trees close to it—"

"That's why you're here," Ambo broke in.

Flopsy's paw fell to her side as her jaw dropped. "Wait, what?"

"You heard me. You will hold me up while I look in."

"What about me?"

"I'll tell you what I see." She clenched her fists. "Look, I care about Louis as much as you do."

Flopsy growled. So _that_ was the catch! Ambo _needed _her assistance. Maybe backing down would be a better idea...but while that would foil Ambo's plans, she wanted to know what was going on. No, she _had _to know.

"Okay," she decided at last. "But I'm only doing it for my beloved Louie, not for your meddlesome, self-centered excuse of a reason," she reminded Ambo.

Ambo smiled. "I'm glad you feel that way."

Flopsy had no idea what that was supposed to mean, but didn't have time to contemplate it. She lifted Ambo up.

Arceus, Ambo was heavy! For being so slim, she weighed a lot.

Flopsy groaned.

"You okay?" Ambo asked with a hint of amusement in her voice.

"Just feels like I'm...carrying the weight of the world on my...shoulders," she responded bitterly, changing her position a little.

"Hey, stop moving! You're gonna make me fall!" Ambo hissed.

"Grab the window...sill!" Flopsy demanded, ignoring her. "Put some weight on that!" Thankfully, Ambo did what she was told.

The burden became much, much more bearable. "What do you see?" Flopsy questioned, her mood lightening considerably after that episode.

Ambo was silent a moment before replying in an indifferent tone: "Oh, not much. Just Watchog Hyper Fanging Louis in the gut."

Flopsy gasped and lurched so violently that Ambo toppled down on top of her. "_What_ did you say!?" Flopsy inquired in a quivering voice, shoving her off and jumping to her feet.

"I promise I'll tell you when it's over! Just put me back up there!" Ambo demanded.

Flopsy reluctantly allowed Ambo to stand on her shoulders again, but what Ambo had said had confounded her more than a Dizzy Punch to the face. If she had heard correctly, Watchog was attacking Louie for some reason, and from what Ambo said, Louie was probably losing, too.

But amidst these thoughts, one question continually popped up in her mind.

_Why?_

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**Words:** 1,040

**Published on: **January 24, 2020


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